Yeah I would be the outlier…. Or those people didn’t have near as much HP/trq. I cruise at 70mph at 2200rpm. 3.73 rear.
TKX vs T56
- Thread starter DentalDart
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1WildRT
Well-Known Member
FWIW My combo is a 70 340, 10.2 C/R 230@ .050 Edelbrock heads... Probably 325ish HP flat torque curve from 1700-5000, spins happily to 6500...
3.55 gear, 3.27 1st .68 5th.... 28" tire.... 2000rpm in 5th = 70 MPH...
3.55 gear, 3.27 1st .68 5th.... 28" tire.... 2000rpm in 5th = 70 MPH...
Max65
Well-Known Member
Max65
Well-Known Member
I have a Chevrolet T56 in my 65 Barracuda. I put in a T5 before that and it had a factory A833 4 speed originally. 5th gear is fun from 60mph to 90mph and 6th gear is fun after that. 80mph is about 2000 rpm in 6th gear. The T5 shifts REALLY smooth, the T56 is a little more notchy but not much. Motor is 475 lb ft torque so I went to T56, that extra gear is great and easily keeps up with modern cars at hwy speeds and helps a lot with fuel mpg
Max65
Well-Known Member
Pics of my install; I tried to keep the original 4-speed tunnel shape so the replacement carpet (pre-cut) fit properly.
Max65
Well-Known Member
More pics
DionR
Well-Known Member
To be clear, I’m not knocking anyone for picking the TKX. I was only speaking about myself and how I think I would have second guessed myself. I don’t think a TKX is a bad or wrong choice.
I didn’t take it any kinda way…. But it might be pretty damn true that it only handles close to 600hp/trq. I made it too the 500 mile break in mark… was about to change the fluid that coming weekend… and it said nope… not today son… and left the chat on me. Now I’m excited to take it back out… it’s my favorite. Meanwhile… people over there bang shifting the damn thing to 7500rpm and it’s advertised as such… It’s just my luck. Maybe I just got a dud… idk… the first 100 miles was the clutch breaking in and then the next 400 was amazing. Hopefully it gets fixed and won’t happen again making me wish I had the beefier version that handles more power or something idk….I’ve seen tons of YouTube videos of people abusing them with no issues.
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These crossmember instructions suck lol.
Milwaukee hacksaw for the win with taking all of this off, a plasma cutter would make the 30-35 minute job about a 10 minute job… it would also look a heck of a lot more clean.
I also have not a clue what I’m doing so….
Milwaukee hacksaw for the win with taking all of this off, a plasma cutter would make the 30-35 minute job about a 10 minute job… it would also look a heck of a lot more clean.
I also have not a clue what I’m doing so….
I think it goes like this.
Pretty sure the top bolt holes on the cross member brace go to the stock holes on the cross member then the transmission brace underneath and attaches to that.
Pretty sure the top bolt holes on the cross member brace go to the stock holes on the cross member then the transmission brace underneath and attaches to that.
1WildRT
Well-Known Member
Before hacking up your Dart to install that patch I would try installing the TKX and see if it's really needed.... The torsion bar crossmember is a major structural member of your car... If you don't need to cut it I absolutely wouldn't...
If you're doing the T56 you'll certainly have to cut the crossmember, but I'd be inclined to built something more substantial than that... It's a good starting point but I wouldn't feel comfortable trusting just that...
On my Challenger I measured the angle of the engine before taking it apart... I cut the floor and installed the four speed hump then installed the bell housing & trans, then tried jacking the engine up till I had interference.. Which first was the floor sheet metal on the passenger side, pulled the trans & hammered the floor for clearance & reinstalled the trans... Tried raising the trans again... It had clearance everywhere until the trans contacted the torsion bar crossmember... Checked the engine angle & found it was actually higher than when it was stock... So I lowered it to match the original angle... & built the lower crossmember to support the trans there...
If you're doing the T56 you'll certainly have to cut the crossmember, but I'd be inclined to built something more substantial than that... It's a good starting point but I wouldn't feel comfortable trusting just that...
On my Challenger I measured the angle of the engine before taking it apart... I cut the floor and installed the four speed hump then installed the bell housing & trans, then tried jacking the engine up till I had interference.. Which first was the floor sheet metal on the passenger side, pulled the trans & hammered the floor for clearance & reinstalled the trans... Tried raising the trans again... It had clearance everywhere until the trans contacted the torsion bar crossmember... Checked the engine angle & found it was actually higher than when it was stock... So I lowered it to match the original angle... & built the lower crossmember to support the trans there...
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Well technically I already cut this dart up… lol I wasn’t the first to cut the cross member though, it had a hole in it from the PO floor shifter.
You lost me at measuring angles…. I’m not that smart.
I just figure having a top and bottom like on the hurst crossmember I have is stronger than just the one across the bottom like the one that comes in the SST and American Powertrain kits? It’s pretty close to the ToddRon crossmember everyone mentions
1WildRT
Well-Known Member
And yet in post 45 Duster360LA says otherwise.... All I'm saying is try putting the trans in the car before cutting....
goldduster318
Overzealous Car Modifier
Looks similar enough, and like a decent piece. That flat stock and bent one I'm not so sure about.
I wouldn't run it without a welded in top torsion bars or not.
1WildRT
Well-Known Member
The stock crossmember with all the folded metal & layers is certainly stronger than the Hurst offering & probably stronger than the ToddRon offering... At least the E body one is, Inside the part you see is a couple other reinforcements welded in that aren't apparent till you start cutting the floor out...
@cli55er did you not use a top cross member piece?
@goldduster318 I agree welded would probably be best, but… again I’m not that smart and I can’t weld worth a **** … but the ToddRon one is the first 2 photos and the Hurst one is the 2nd photos. I’d assume they are going to be within distance of each other in strength. Modern drivelines looks like they have the Todd one in stock though. Idk
@goldduster318 I agree welded would probably be best, but… again I’m not that smart and I can’t weld worth a **** … but the ToddRon one is the first 2 photos and the Hurst one is the 2nd photos. I’d assume they are going to be within distance of each other in strength. Modern drivelines looks like they have the Todd one in stock though. Idk
No I did not…. I don’t have torsion bars anymore though. I have RMS coil overs.
Yeah, having installed the ToddRon crossmember in my Duster and having the E-body version ready for my Challenger there's absolutely no way, not a single chance in hell, that the stock crossmember is stronger. Zip, zero, zilch.
I’ve never seen the TR one but this Holley has thicker metal than the stock hoop.
Sorry about the bad lighting, the shop that this car is in doesn’t have good lighting. It’s actually pretty cleaned out now because I’m about to get the trusses raised and electrical redone so I can install some lifts.
goldduster318
Overzealous Car Modifier
Bad assumption, the Todd Ron one is a LOT stronger because its a continious 3D shape, its essentially 3 pieces welded together to make a u-channel. Flat pieces of stock have to be extremely thick and/or have ribs/darts in them to be anywhere near the strength of a 3D shape. I can bend 1/4" bar stock with my bare hands, you can't even flex the Todd Ron one and IIRC the stock one doesn't flex either. The ToddRon one is beefy. I have zero concerns with it's strength.
The hurst one doesn't look too good, in these spots its basically just plate so it can flex there. flat plate is pretty bad against bending without a continous edge. This is probably like 1/4", not something like half or whatever, which you wouldn't use because its too heavy.
You could pretty easily make a top like the ToddRon one with cardboard templates and plates if you can weld. I bought it because I saved a bunch of hours with it, which made it worth the cost of admission to me.
Honestly the crossmember welding is a lot easier than doing the sheet metal to me. You really want to tie the crossmember into the floor also. If you look in my topic its all welded together and the floor is very very stiff.
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